Hit the Ground Running
by ScarletDevil1503
Summary: Sure, Jacob ran away at the end of Eclipse... for three years. By the time he returns to La Push, Bella has already moved on with her leeches. The years he spent alone and miserable have changed his perspective on the whole affair; his time for healing is just beginning. Will our dear Alpha find his heart again? AU, Imprint story, Jacob/OC. Rated T for strong language.
1. Table of Contents

**Hello there. Here's a nice little Imprint story for you.**

**As of 11-25-11, I'm editing this intro because it sounded dumb before. For those of you just beginning this: Welcome.  
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**Here's a better summary: While Jacob was gone, a family friend of Emily's from Makah sent their daughter to live in La Push because of family troubles. The girl's name is Clover, nicknamed "Chloe," who has an ugly past and an bad attitude. Billy Black offered to put her up since Jacob was gone. When he returns, all hell cuts loose when their eyes meet. Yep, it's the magic of imprinting.**

**The title is based off the song "Parachute" by Train. I want every chapter title to be a part of the song, as you can see in the table of contents below.**

**-Scarlet**

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><p><strong>Hit the Ground Running<strong>

_Table of Contents_

Chapter 1: Take You with Me

Chapter 2: No More Yesterdays

Chapter 3: Start Again

Chapter 4: Awake and So Excited

Chapter 5: We Always Push

Chapter 6: When the World Gets Sharp

Chapter 7: Feel Like Giving In

Chapter 8: I Will Stay

Chapter 9: Wash the Words and Pain Away

Chapter 10: The Way We Pull

Chapter 11: You're Beautiful

Chapter 12: We Might Drop

Chapter 13: Don't Look Down

Chapter 14: Wouldn't Be the Same without You

Chapter 15: Too Good to Give Up On

Chapter 16: Your Parachute

Chapter 17: Never Let You Down

Chapter 18: Human Angel

Chapter 19: We'll Only Hit the Ground Running

Chapter 20: Epilogue

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><p><strong>Look up the lyrics yourself, because I can't post them here! Duh! I'll give you a minute to Google it...<strong>

***ONE MINUTE LATER* Don't you **_**love**_** that song? :P  
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**One more thing... this is my first wolf/imprint story. I'm defiantly a "vampire girl" when it comes to **_**Twilight**_**, so I'm outside of my comfort-zone with this one. **So, drop a review – make my day.****

**Thank you for your time.**

**-Scarlet**


	2. Chapter 1: Take You with Me

**Thank you, ****rivierlina,** **miriamne, and i took the night12, for the Alerts/Favs/Reviews! I can't believe I got such a response! Glad to see y'all like the idea. And, yes, rivierlina, I do believe this is a big step in my fanfiction career. ;)**

**BTW, I realized that I'd left this as "K" when I published it. Sorry, I'd meant it to be "T" for language and themes. SORRY! Those werewolves swear like sailors, I tell you...**

**Enjoy this beginning.  
><strong>

**-Scarlet**

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><p>Disclaimer: I do not own <em>Twilight<em>. This is a work of fanfiction.**  
><strong>

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><p><strong><span>Hit the Ground Running<span>  
><strong>

_Prologue_

Quil Ateara thought he was seeing things. He'd witnessed a lot of strange things while working the nightshift at the La Push Seven-Eleven, but this surpassed everything.

"Jacob?" he asked slowly, coming out from behind the counter.

There he was – dirty, hairy, smelly – chowing down on a box of Frosted Flakes he'd taken from the nearest shelf when he'd stumbled in thirty seconds ago. His loose T-shirt was torn and wet, and his Bermuda shorts were stained with some kind of brown paint. It looked as though he'd just dug them out of the dumpster behind the store... which he probably had. His black hair was long past his shoulders, and had several leaves stuck into the dirty mats.

"I'll pay ya back, Quil." His words were half-muffled as he shoved another handful of cereal into his mouth. "I _promise_."

"Jake!" Quil's mouth hung open in a gape. "Where have you _been_?"

Jacob reached into the box for another mouthful of flakes, but found it empty. He shook it upside-down and frowned. "Do you have any Pops?"

Quil stepped forward and snatched the cereal box from his hands. "Do you realize how _long_ it's been? Where _were_ you all these years?"

Jacob froze, and forgot his rampant hunger for half a second. "..._Years?_"

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Take You with Me<strong>

Sam Uley drove his new (well, used) Ford Focus down the main street in La Push, feeling like the $5,000 he had paid for the vehicle. Soft rock tunes from the Oldies station played on the low-volume radio, and Sam tapped his thumb on the steering wheel in roughly good time with the beat.

"You like Queen, lil' Elle?" he said in his "baby voice," adjusting the rearview mirror to see the little face of his daughter in the back seat.

The 14-month-old continued to suck her thumb, and stare out the windshield. Gabrielle Danielle Uley hadn't been very talkative for her first year of life, uttering none other words than "mama," "dada," and "baba." Her pink, flowery car seat matched her fuzzy sweater and shoes.

Sam sighed, looking back to the dark road. The headlights shone on the swiftly-moving pavement. "Yeah, I miss Mama, too." His thoughts drifted to Emily, who had gone to visit family during the weekend.

Suddenly, a reddish-brown wolf ran onto the road ahead of him.

"Shit!" he yelled, swerving out of the way.

"Shit," Elle mumbled, smiling when her harness caught her from flying across the backseat.

There was a loud _thump_, and Sam's car fish-tailed into the grassy shoulder off the road. "Christ!" Sam whipped around it Elle, who was giggling on her drool-covered fingers. "You're alright... you're OK..." After the initial shock passed (which took like... a second), anger flooded through Sam like a fire through a pile of toothpicks.

The door nearly broke off its hinges when Sam jerked it open. He stepped out onto the road to inspect the damage to his Focus. The left headlight had been smashed in, and a huge, leg-shaped dent covered half of the hood. Lying on the ground in front of the car was the one who'd caused it all.

"Goddamn it!" Sam cursed loudly, kicking the unconscious ball of red fur under his front left tire. Discreetly glancing around, he slowly pushed the vehicle back several feet, freeing the wolf's leg. "What the _hell_ were you thinking?" he asked the wolf furiously, gesturing wildly. "_Now_ what am I gonna do with you?"

Sam ducked back into his car, and pulled his cell phone off the charger cord in the dash. He flipped it open angrily, and rapidly dialed an all-too-familiar number. It rang twice. "Billy!" he barked into the phone, even before there was an answer. "I just ran over your Prodigal son! Come get him!"

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><p>Jacob opened his eyes to a sunny room. It was a strange sensation – the fan slowly rotating on the ceiling, the soft mattress underneath his body – that he hadn't experience in... He couldn't remember how long. He felt a natural smile spread on his face, and he slowly sat up.<p>

Even before he was upright, his right leg gave a painful throb. "_Crap,_" he hissed, ceasing all movement. He looked down at his legs, and slowly peeled the thin blue sheet of them. At a glance, he couldn't tell why his leg hurt... much less _remember _why. "What the hell happened?" he asked himself, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. He slowly eased off the bed, and winced when he put his weight on his bad leg.

It was _his_ room, he realized. There was barely any space to walk around the bed, and he hobbled to the door and opened it. When he turned the knob, the soft metal compressed under his hand. "Oops..." He tried to bend it back the best he could. He had been inhuman so long; he forgot to use a "human" amount of strength.

He hopped on one foot to the tiny kitchen. Billy's familiar scent was everywhere. "Dad!" he shouted, leaning against the doorway. He reached the fridge, and gently pulled it open. An open bowl of fish-fry became his victim, as well as a can of Coke.

When he opened the silverware drawer next to the stove, there were oven mitts. When he opened the oven mitt drawer next to the fridge, there were napkins. He finally found a fork in the drawer under the sink. "What the _heck_ happened while I was gone?" He staggered to the table and ate the meal in less than forty-five seconds.

As he held his mouth open under the stream of cold water at the sink tap, he heard a soft snore. The sudden noise made him jump, and he poked his eye on the faucet. "Shit! Crap!" He rubbed his eye as he tracked the snore to the living room.

The girl on the sofa had one leg thrown over the back of it, and one arm dangling off the edge. Her mouth was open in her sleep, thus the snore. Her long, _long_ black hair fanned around her head and covered the two pillows she slept on. Her long lashes dusted her dark, freckled cheeks, and her full lips moved when she muttered in her sleep. "Soft... berries..."

Jacob stared at her. He'd never seen her before.

First, no Billy. Then, wrong silverware drawer. And, to top it all off, there was a strange girl sleeping on his living room couch. It was like an alien force had invaded his home.

Then, something occurred to Jacob quite suddenly. "Is this the future?" he whispered eerily, his eyes growing wide. He limped around the house, holding his bad leg, trying to find some evidence of the year. Sure, he'd heard those wolf legions of how he'd live forever. How all his friends would age and _die_ before he would.

A knock at the door interrupted his wild search. He sprang for it, and unlocked the three unfamiliar locks before wrenching it open. It was his close friend, Embry Call. "Embry!" Jacob grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. "Is it 2012? Did the world end?"

Embry stumbled in as Jacob slammed the door behind him. Embry hadn't really expected to find a madman screaming about the end of the world to have taken the place of his friend, Jacob... but he was cool with that. "Dude... are you _on_ something? What's that smell?" Embry held his nose and stepped back.

"Where's Billy?" Jacob demanded loudly. "Where's my father?"

"He's... fishing, I think?" Embry put as much polite distance as he could between himself and Jacob. "I heard about last night – some way to be welcomed home, hu?"

"Fish...ing?" Jacob's memories of the previous night came back to his in a bright flash of headlights. "Ford..."

Embry shook his head at his insane friend. "So you really _were_ gone all that time. Did you go crazy or something?"

Jacob blinked a few times, still assaulted by memories. He remembered vampires... vampires... and more vampires. He remembered fighting with them... fighting against them. But there was one _thing_ missing from his memories. It seemed very _important_... almost as important as the reason he'd left in the first place. The reason he left... which was...?

He came out of his trance, and stepped forward to put his hands on Embry's shoulders. Embry held his breath and leaned away as Jacob spoke with deliberate slowness, "What... the hell... happened... to me?"

Embry's eyes grew. "Dude, you have amnesia? Do you remember me?" He shook Jacob's shoulders. "Talk to me, Jacob!"

Jacob scowled and drew away from him. "Of _course_ I remember you, Embry. Don't be stupid. I was just gone for a while, right?" he asked cautiously.

Embry sighed, relived. "Yeah, man. Three _years_ you've been gone. Where were you?"

Jacob shook his head slowly, trying to sort through his cloudy memories. "I dunno. Everywhere, nowhere..."

Embry laughed, slapping Jacob's back. "OK, don't get all _emo_ on me. I'm just glad to have you back, man."

Jacob smiled. "Thanks. I feel... different. Not in the emo way, though."

"Yeah, right. This place has changed, too. You might have noticed..." Embry glanced at the living room.

Jacob remembered the sleeping girl on the couch. "How can she sleep through all this?"

During a moment of silence, the boys heard a soft mutter from the other room, "Sunny money..."

Jacob scoffed in disbelief. "Who is she? Why is she –?"

"Dude, I'm not gonna give you the long backstory of 'Clover the crazy,' OK?" He shrugged. "I'm sure Sam will fill you in later."

"'Clover the crazy'?" Jacob repeated, smirking. "You're such a dork, Em." He laughed and dodged a punch from Embry.

Embry glared with narrowed eyes. "Just _wait_... you'll see."

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><p><strong>What? How could Jacob forget about Bella? Or should I say... "Jacob forgot about Bella! Yay!"<strong>

**Review if you care. Click away if you don't.**

**The choice is yours.**

**-Scarlet**


	3. Chapter 2: No More Yesterdays

**Thanks for the reviews, rvierlina and lileycullen! Also, thanks to iluvcheer18, Hi. ImMariaa, KickinItUp, Wasipi, jitterbug7, and greysister22 for the Alerts/Favs. Whoa. Your huge response inspired another chapter.**

**-Scarlet**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: No More Yesterdays<strong>

Seth Clearwater hated onions. The animosity may have been rooted their rubbery skin or their rotten odor... either reason was fine. However, the only thing he hated more than onions was _chopping_ onions. And the only thing he hated more than chopping onion was being _grounded_ whilst chopping them. He was eight-_freaking_-teen for Christ's sake!

Charlie – his stepfather, as of the previous year – had gone fishing that morning, with Billy Black. The house was empty; Sue had gone to the Uley's to help Sam with the baby while Emily was gone.

Fortunately, he was saved from his fate by a knock at the door. He sprang for the doorknob, but it turned even before he reached it. Screeching to a stop in front of the girl in the doorway, "Hey... Chloe... Why did you knock, anyways?"

Her face held no emotion. "Because I didn't know the door was unlocked."

"Oh..."

She glared up at him from under her lashes. "Sam wants you," she stated in a monotone voice.

"Er, OK. Did he say what for?"

"No..." Her blank expression portrayed her complete disregard for the situation. "But he told me to find Embry, too. And I can't find him."

"Oh, well..." Seth shifted awkwardly. Clover always made him feel uncomfortable. "I know he swung by your place earlier looking for Ja –" His thoughts flashed to last night's impromptu pack meeting, and Sam's desire to keep Jacob's return on the _lowdown_. "–ason?"

Clover stared. "Ja-a-ason?" she repeated.

"Yeah, uh, I'm sure I'll bump into Embry later, so, uh..." He slipped through the doorway and closed the door behind himself. "You're off the hook."

Clover lifted her hands in fake cheer. "Woop, woop. I'm going home to watch horror movies. Happy Saturday."

Seth watched as the girl turned and walked down the road.

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><p>Sam's hand came hard across Jacob's face, leaving a red welt in its wake. Jacob's gaze was pinned to the floral-patterned wallpaper on Emily's living room wall.<p>

Quil contained snickers. "_That was so gay!_" he hissed in Embry's ear.

"Can it, Ateara," Sam growled, turning his laser beam glare on the teen. "You're next."

Quil crossed his arms hard over his chest, biting his lip to stop the laughs. Paul nudged his shoulder and coughed under his breath, smirking. Jared and Embry were the only ones present that were taking Jacob's lashing seriously.

"I. Am. Sorry. Sam," Jacob said for the umpteenth time, stressing each syllable.

Sam gnashed his teeth. He hadn't signed up for permanent leadership of the pack, especially after the "true Alpha" had run off to hell-knows-where. Basically, he was taking out the past three years frustration on poor Jacob Black.

"Sam, please," Sue soothed, tentatively breaking through the tall group of werewolves. "He doesn't deserve this, you know." She rested a hand on his trembling shoulder, willing him to settle down. He was always on edge when Emily was away, so Jacob's sudden appearance was rather untimely. No one could calm Sam down like his imprint could.

With one last glare at Jacob, Sam turned away and roughly shoved his way through the back door, bumping into a confused Seth Clearwater on the way. "Whoa, sorry Sam..." He backed away from Sam's angry atmosphere.

"SHUT UP!" Sam roared impatiently.

Seth slipped through the screen door before it shut, and looked from one shocked face to the other. "Did I... miss the meeting?"

"You can go home, everyone," Sue sighed, motioning Seth over to her. "Sam just needs some time."

Jared shrugged, and turned to leave. He spared Jacob a glance on his way out. "Sorry, man."

Quil and Embry heisted at the door, but didn't dare to cross Sam's wrath. "Talk later?" Quil said hopefully, watching Jacob carefully.

Jacob's face was stoic, his stance tense. "Sure, sure."

Paul didn't make eye contact with Jacob as he left. He'd taken Sam's side since the very beginning.

Seth sat at the kitchen table while Sue re-piled some fruit in a bowl at the kitchen counter. The atmosphere was almost static with the three left there, and little Gabrielle's humming was the only sound that broke the awkward silence. A SpongeBob coloring book was open on the coffee table, with a myriad of pink, purple, and yellow crayon scribbles across it.

Jacob's empty eyes darted to the child.

"Jacob, look..." Seth stood and regarded his friend sympathetically. "We all support you. You know Sam – he always overreacts..."

Jacob barely heard Seth's words. He stepped into the living room and crouched down in front of the little girl. Her large, brown eyes lifted from her coloring, and stared up curiously at Jacob. "Gue...?" he asked uncertainly, frowning as she turned her gaze away from the stranger.

Sue came to her side, and patted her silky hair. Lifting Gabrielle into her arms, she held her for Jacob to see. "You haven't met Jacob, darling. He's one of your uncles," she said, hoping to soften Jacob's severe expression. "This is Gabrielle Danielle, Jacob."

Jacob reached out and touched one of her tiny fingers with a large one of his own. She immediately grabbed a hold of it and brought it to her mouth. "Caboc!" she exclaimed, laughing at the funny sound she'd made.

Jacob couldn't help the bright smile that invaded his face. "It's nice to meet you, Gabrielle."

The screen door opened again, but Jacob couldn't tear his eyes away from Emily and Sam's child. There were two gentle footsteps, which quickly came to a halt.

Clover had often seen the bare torsos of Sam's mysterious "gang" of young Quileutes. But when she saw the back of Jacob's seven-foot, massive figure, she froze in her tracks. She was torn between attraction and fear.

"Hey, Clover. How're those movies coming?" Seth offered weakly, wondering why she'd suddenly shown up.

Jacob turned at the sound of the familiar name. The girl's brown eyes, which had already been looking in his direction, locked with his.

Suddenly, time stopped. The sun became dimmer. All his problems evaporated. Everything he'd ever done, and everyone he'd ever known became meaningless. That first glance made him an instant goner. Her perfect lips parted as though to speak, but none of her words registered in his mind.

All his brain was screaming was: "There she is! There she is!" It felt as though a huge rope had just been tied around her and him, and it was pulling them together. Or a magnet. Or a grappling hook. Or like your hair to the front of a TV screen when you rub it on a balloon.

He _needed_ her. He needed to touch her, to hold her, to love her... to lock her away in a tower somewhere so she could be no one's but his. She became his purpose: The only thing that kept me alive, and the only thing I lived for.

He was pretty much stumped for the first few seconds. He thought of all those weird vampire powers he'd heard about... like Edward with his mind reading. Maybe this was how every man reacted to her? But then, a tiny voice – a whisper in the back of my mind...

_Imprint._

Clover tried to ignore the man's gawking face, and decided in that moment that he was indeed... a sicko. "Mrs. Swan, can I borrow your car to pick up Emily?" she asked Sue.

"Of course, honey. Emily wants to come home early?" Sue set Gabrielle back on the couch and went to get her car keys.

"Yeah. She called just now. I guess she heard about Sam's panic-attack." Clover rolled her eyes, accustomed to Sam's frequent freak-outs. If she only knew...

"Jacob, dude, are you OK?" Seth muttered, his brow furrowed as he stepped to Jacob's side.

"_Shit,_" he growled, fighting inside himself. Everyone he'd ever known had had _trouble_ with their imprint. Sam and Emily had a pretty rough start; just look at poor Quil with little Clair... "This is deep shit, Seth." His jaw set and his hands clenched. The urge to grab her and run like a quarterback to the end zone was getting uncontrollable.

"What?" Seth prodded, obviously concerned.

"Frikkin' gravity." Jacob shook his head vehemently as he experienced the very thing he'd seen time after time in his brother's minds. "_Stupid_..."

"Are you gonna introduce us, Seth, or just stand there like a jerk?" Clover stared at Seth tolerantly as she spun Sue's key ring around her thumb. It wasn't a secret that she'd never liked sweet little Seth. She glanced up at Jacob, who was staring at her like she was a piece of pecan sweet potato crumble-top pie.

"Er, yeah. Jake, this is Clover... um, Chloe," he corrected nervously, regarding Clover's irritated glare. "Chloe, this is Jacob."

Her eyes narrowed. "Not _the_ Jacob Black?" She held out a hand as an excuse to touch him. "Billy thought you were dead, I guess," she murmured.

He roughly grabbed her hand. "Well, I'm not," was all he said.

Seth glanced uneasily between the two. "Jake, I dunno if you heard or not... Chloe's been staying at your place for a while. Billy offered, so..."

"Yeah, I heard." Jacob couldn't find it within himself to let her hand go. So tiny and soft and cool in his grasp... so perfect and beautiful. The imprint was tugging at him relentlessly, clouding his mind.

Clover stared at the freak-o-path that wouldn't release her hand. "Good... to meetcha?" she prompted, giving her hand a little tug.

Jacob cleared his throat as he strapped his hand to his side. "Yeah, sure," he managed. His whole body itched to touch her again; his heart throbbed at the absence of her skin.

"Seeya... later, I guess," she said, stepping for the door quickly. As she stuck the keys into the car door and hopped in, she muttered, "What a psycho..."

After Clover had gone, Seth pushed a statue-like Jacob out the backdoor. "Dude! Did you just freaking _imprint_?"

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><p><strong>Review, review! This isn't a focus for me right now, but I'll write faster if I get some feedback.<strong>

**Thanks for reading.**

**-Scarlet**


	4. Chapter 3: Start Again

**Thanks for reviewing Lunar Sunrise and EclipseLover97! And for the Fav, YouOnlyLiveOncee.**

**I don't ever do this, but there's an interview in this chapter. It was the only way I could think of to introduce the character a little.**

**Don't hate me!**

**-Scarlet**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Start Again<strong>

_After Clover had gone, Seth pushed a statue-like Jacob out the backdoor. "Dude! Did you just freaking _imprint_?"_

"I... think..." Jacob's face dropped into a scowl as _his life_ drove away down the road. His chest felt empty, as though his heart had been ripped out. He began to feel lightheaded, and his clenched fists shook at his sides.

Seth watched his pained face anxiously. "Jacob, you imprinted on _Clover_?"

Jacob's teeth gnashed together and he turned an angry glare on Seth. "Yes. I. Imprinted." His instincts clawed at him with every second that passed. She wasn't supposed to leave... not just after he found her...

"I'll get Sam." Seth turned away, and ran off before Jacob could stop him.

Jacob tried to control his breathing, which had become borderline hyperventilation. He felt the wolf struggling for dominance within him, wanting to destroy whatever force had taken his life away. His very being. His heart. His imprint

He was running before he knew it, into the tree line behind Emily's house. The branches and shrubs of the thick forest tore at his skin, but it healed even before he noticed. He ran from himself, from _her_, and from the strong impulses that the imprint caused. And though he won the physical battle, the wolf asserted itself in his mind and manifested in his body. The forest floor flew out from under his powerful paws with each pounding stride he took. The instincts that had guided him for the past three years began to infest his mind once again...

All too soon, a flicker in his mind signaled that one of his brothers had joined him.

_Jacob, don't freak out. _Jared's mind held nothing but sympathy. His thoughts of Kim merged and hazed together with Jacob's picture of Clover's face. Jacob pushed himself faster through the trees, but he couldn't escape the three other minds that popped into his conscious.

_Get back here now, Jacob, _Sam's angry thoughts greeted.

_Sorry, Jake. _Seth was there, too.

_Quil's on his way_, _Jacob. This is rough, _Embry's mind comforted. Jacob felt his compassion, but also his excitement. The prospect of imprinting was always appealing to Embry, since he'd yet to experience it himself.

Sam was still angry. _Jacob Black, turn your ass around and return to La Push._

Jacob screeched to a stop under the weight of the command, and every nerve ending in his body froze. He fought against Sam's alpha authority until his knees buckled. His body moved of its own, turning back to the reservation. He was able to keep his pace to a trot, and soon, the entire pack caught up with him.

_Tell me exactly what happened,_ Sam ordered.

Jacob's mind reeled with the encounter with Clover, up to every embarrassing detail.

_It's better than Bella, that's for sure,_ Paul snickered. The pack mind hummed with memories of the Cullens, of Bella, and of Jacob's departure three years before.

Jacob absorbed every thought, every perspective. It felt like he was looking at his own life through different eyes... a life that he didn't feel a part of. Bella's face was blurry and distorted in his mind; only his imprint mattered now, regardless of the past.

Jacob was startled to hear his own voice through the storm of his brothers' thoughts, _This is the best thing that's ever happened to me._

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><p>"Leah, I imprinted."<p>

"Well, well... fuck me."

Leah's face held little shock as she stood in her mother's doorway, glaring at the man who'd knocked ten seconds before. She had come down from Seattle to visit her mother, strategically planned so Emily was away. She still hadn't tied up ends with Emily, and had already put that past behind her.

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "You're not... surprised?"

"Well, I haven't seen you for three years, Jake... so the surprise from this visit cancelled out the other surprise. That good enough?" She smirked.

He sighed and leaned on the weathered door frame with one arm. "Look, I didn't come here for your pity... I just..." His eyes became distant, as though he was looking right through her. "I wanted to ask you why."

Leah deadpanned. The suspense alone was killing her... not. "'Why' what?"

"The pack told me you stopped phasing."

She laughed mirthlessly. "Do you _want_ to see a giant she-wolf running free on the streets of Seattle?"

"That, too," he pointed out. "Why did you leave La Push?"

Leah shifted her weight, obviously annoyed by his pestering. "Does it _matter_?" She flung a hand out at him. "_You_ left, too."

"The situation was different. Besides - _you_ were the one that encouraged me."

"You didn't have to _listen_! I was all hormone-y and wolf-y back then."

Jacob shrugged. "I don't see how I could have stayed..."

"Then don't sweat it! You had _every_ right to. _I_ was one of the few that actually defended you after you left."

"You did?" Jacob pictured Sam's initial reaction to his little escapade. It wasn't pretty. "Who else? Quil? Seth?"

Leah let out a tolerant breath. "I don't want to go through the _history of the pack_ right now, Jake..."

Realizing the crazed expression on his face, Jacob laughed stiffly. "Sorry, Leah... I'm just uptight right now."

"Ya think?" she quipped, motioning to him up and down. "Did Sam run you over with a tank?"

Jacob looked down at this dirt-covered body and ripped shorts. Even his newly-cropped hair was a mess again. "Almost."

She chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Well... this was a good chat, Jake. But it's like" – she glanced at her watch-less wrist theatrically – "midnight. I'm leaving in the morning, so I wanna get some shuteye."

"Oh..." Jacob shoved away the regret he felt. He'd missed that bitch. "Sure. I guess I'll see you around, Leah."

She stopped shutting the door halfway, after he'd already turned to go. "Hey! Who is it, by the way?"

He froze, realizing he didn't know Clover's surname. "Er... Clover." He grinned. "Clover the crazy."

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><p><em><span>An Interview with Clover<span>_

**Good evening, Miss Clover. Would you spare a moment for an interview?  
><strong>Is _that_ what you called me here for? *sighs tolerantly* Sure, whatever...

**Name?  
><strong>Clover Ann Windsong. Yep, you guessed it – I'm Native American. Call me Chloe though, or I'll smack you. *mutters* I know people call me Clover behind my back, though.

**Birthday?  
><strong>December 5, 1988.

**Age?  
><strong>Since you can't do math – I'm 21. It's 2009, dummy.

**Gender?  
><strong>I'm a woman.

**Nationality?  
><strong>Just told you, dumbass.

**Height/Weight?  
><strong>Five foot five...ish. 110 lbs. *glances away*

**Current residence?  
><strong>Billy Black's house. I don't care to know the number because I'm bailing outta there soon. I sleep on the couch, because Billy's saving his son's room. I always thought Jacob went off to sell drugs and kill people... but most people say he just ran away with some old girlfriend of his. How boring.

**Current occupation?  
><strong>I work at Sue's café every once in a while... but mostly I volunteer at the library. Sam hates when I'm just doing nothing, so I pretend to like books to get him off my back. *shrugs*

**Siblings?  
><strong>I'm an only child.

**Chinese zodiac sign?  
><strong>Dragon. Hear me roar. Grrr.

**Sexual orientation?  
><strong>*gasps in rage* Did you seriously just ask that, you pervert? ...I hate girls.

**Bad habits?  
><strong>I don't smoke, if that's what you're asking. I drink a lot of Coke, though... and bite my nails sometimes. I swear a lot, too, Goddamn it.

**Talents?  
><strong>I can kick ass and chew bubblegum. And I'm all out of bubblegum. Ha! Nah, I just took some karate in middle school.

**Hobbies?  
><strong>I watch TV, cook occasionally, and I _love_ to surf. *smirks* And you thought I'd say throwing kitchen knives at the wall.

**Education?**  
>Graduated high school pretty easily, tried to go to community college for a while... *frowns* ...but that didn't work out.<p>

**Health status?  
><strong>Fit as a fiddle. I might haves AIDS, though. Ha! *points* You should see your _face_!

**Overall personality?  
><strong>I'm not good at describing myself, but... I tend to not care, blow people off for no reason, and I'm not easy to impress. I hate humor and cuteness. So, all in all, it takes a _lot_ for me to go "whoa!" *pauses uninterestedly* The world is a pretty boring place, I guess. I'm as loyal as a dog, though.

**Favorite food?  
><strong>Gummybears and sushi. And Chinese.

**Favorite ice cream flavor?  
><strong>Bubblegum, with those little pink chunks.

**Favorite drink?  
><strong>Coka-Cola. Coffee is death to me.

**Favorite music?  
><strong>Rock, PopRock, Alternitive. Rap is crap.

**Is there someone you hate?  
><strong>You. *glares* And probably my dad.

**Is there someone you love?  
><strong>My sister Emily. We aren't family or anything, but she's always been there for me. I think the best thing about moving to La Push last year was the fact that I was closer to her. I went all emo when she left Makah a few years ago.

**Do you want to have kids later?  
><strong>Not really... I guess I haven't thought about it. But I love sitting Emily's kid Elle sometimes.

**Do you have past relationships/interests?  
><strong>My first kiss was at the eighth grade prom... in Chemistry lab. The jackass wanted to date me, but I turned him down. I guess I'm _still_ waiting for the "boy craze" to hit. Taylor Lautner is pretty hot, though.

**Have you ever killed anyone?  
><strong>*gapes* Are you fucking psycho? Hell no, I've never _killed_ anyone... YET, BUDDY!

**What color and length is your hair?  
><strong>Black... like your heart, jerkface. And it comes down to my butt. I sit on it by accident sometimes.

**What color are your eyes?**  
>Dark brown, except there's a light amber rim around them.<p>

**What do you think of your creator?  
><strong>Scarlet? She's OK. This was a pretty dumb way to introduce me, though.

**Thank you for your time, Chloe.**

* * *

><p>The light from the freeway streetlights cast a surreal orange glow across the road. It lit up the faces of the two girls in the front seat of Sue's Toyoda Corolla as they drove under it every so often. The driver's dark knuckles were almost white against the steering wheel, and the passenger occasionally glanced over in concern.<p>

"Thanks again for picking me up, Chloe," Emily said, trying again at conversation.

Clover's gaze stayed on the dark road. "Yep." She popped her lips on the _p_.

Emily looked at her lap. She knew exactly why Chloe was in her "turtle" mode. "He was just trying to reach out, you know?" she said softly.

Clover took a deep breath through her nose. "That was just a show for you, Emily. He still doesn't care about me." She glanced at Emily's worried face. "Why were you over at my house, anyway?"

"I just wanted to check up. You know how men get without a woman around..." Emily bit her lip after she said this. She knew very well not to bring up the topic of Clover's mother around the girl.

"You shouldn't worry. My dad will never change," she said, frowning.

Emily sighed in defeat. "You may be right..."

* * *

><p><strong>Whew...! *wipes brow* That was rough. Please review if you like this story and want to see more. If ya don't... meh.<strong>

**-Scarlet**


	5. Chapter 4: Awake and So Excited

**Thanks for the reviews, msjackson, Secret Musings, and EclipseLover97! You guys rock. Also, thanks for the Fav, alicewillbealice1066379.**

**This story will be CULLEN-FREE. All the events of Breaking Dawn transpired, just without Jacob. Bella got married, had her hybrid child, and her happily 'effing after. They moved to a town... far... far away. *evil smirk* (Sorry, I'm never like this... I **_**love**_** the Cullens, REALLY!)**

**I like _just_ wrote this, so I hope there aren't too many mistakes. Enjoy.  
><strong>

**-Scarlet**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Awake and So Excited<strong>

"So... don't you wanna... talk about it?"

Billy's wise, old eyes glanced up from his cold cereal at his only son. The torrential rainstorm that had blown in during the night thrummed against the roof. The morning was dark due to the heavy cloud layer, and the AM news blabbered on softly in the background. "Talk about what, Jacob?" Billy asked quietly.

Jacob scoffed unbelievingly. "_Dad_, I just told you that I imprinted on the girl who's lived here for the past year and a half, _and_ I've been _gone_ for three solid years! Don't you want to _talk about it_?" He stared at Billy's impassive expression.

"Do _you_ want to talk about it?" He slowly chewed another bite of Mini-Wheats, tapping the remnants in his bowl below the surface of the milk.

Jacob sighed and leaned back in his chair. When he'd finally gotten home at 4 o' clock that morning, he'd found Clover – the one person that brought meaning to his life, who he barely knew – sleeping soundly on the couch. Hardly able to keep his hands to himself, he'd slipped silently down the hall and settled into a restless night in bed. He would have been exhausted the following morning had he been completely human.

"Jesus, dad... Can I at least get some _advice_?" He pointed rapidly to the door. "Clover Windsong is going to come _walking through that door_ any second, and I have to confess my undying love and loyalty to her!"

Billy nodded solemnly. "She's taking awful long to pick up some orange juice, isn't she?"

Jacob stood from his chair roughly and ran his fingers though his short hair anxiously. "Holy crap... This can't be happening..." His eyes were wide with stress.

Just then, through the sound of pouring rain, a bolt of lightning struck distinctly close. Close to werewolf hearing, that is. The lights flickered three times before going out completely. The TV screen went dark. At this, Jacob felt an unprecedented feeling of panic sweep though him. Clover was out there... in the storm... she could be hurt...

Used to the common occurrence, Billy continued their conversation, "Jacob, "it'll be much easier when you see her face to face." He took his empty cereal bowl from the table with one hand and wheeled his way to the dim kitchen. "It'll be fine – don't worry."

Jacob tried not to scowl at Billy's causal manner. The fact that he was taking this jokingly made it _that_ much worse. Sure, Billy hadn't made a big deal of his past problems... maybe it was just his parenting style. Sighing, he walked into the living room; the only illumination was from the half-closed blinds over the front windows. "Give me a break, dad... You can't possibly expect all my problems to just _evaporate_ when she –"

There were three raps at the door, and the distinct sound of jingling keys. Jacob became as immobile as a statue, and Billy nodded expectantly toward the door. "Someone's knocking, Jacob."

Jacob's strength nearly ripped the door off its hinge as he opened it. Clover stood there – two brown grocery bags held clumsily in her arms, hair dripping wet, cloths clinging to her slim body – with the most irritated look on her face. "Power out here, _too_?" she spat, shuffling between the small space Jacob left in the doorway. "Everything's dark out there."

"Be quick with the fridge, Chloe. Who knows how long this'll last..." Billy threw Jacob an amused smile as Clover stumbled into the kitchen. Jacob didn't notice; his breath had returned at least, but now he didn't know how to speak.

When Clover finished with the groceries, she sat down to have breakfast herself. Billy made some poor excuse to leave them alone, and Jacob glared after his stifled chuckles as he rolled down the hall. Jacob stood awkwardly between the kitchen and the living room, watching Clover's back as she ate her Fruit Loops and orange juice. After a minute had elapsed, the girl whipped around in her seat and glared. She said nothing.

Jacob, suddenly put in a rather uncomfortable situation, crossed the space between them and sat in the seat across from her. Her eyes carefully took him in as he crammed his knees under the table. Tentatively raising her spoon, she began eating again.

"Does that even taste good together?" Jacob asked to break the tension between them.

"I guess so... why wouldn't it?" She stared as her spoon swirled the pink-colored milk around in the bowl.

"Well, you know..." Jacob rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his feet. "_Fruit_ Loops_... orange_ juice? Both kinda fruity... kinda sweet?"

She didn't seem to understand, and the conversation plummeted and died like a stalled biplane. The only sounds to ease the thick silence was her cereal munching and the drumming rain.

Jacob tried to form a coherent, objective plan in his head. Though his body hummed with pleasure at the thought of his _imprint_ sitting _right there_... his mind was in turmoil. He thought of ways to broach the subject... 'Hi, I'm a half-man, half-wolf that has been magically bonded to you for life.' Or... 'Clover, you are the only thing on the planet that keeps me alive... I swear to protect and love you until I die.' Neither sounded particularly "objective."

She finished her meal before long, and her dishes clattered in the sink as she rinsed them. Continuing to steal glances at him when he wasn't looking, the girl retrieved her jacket from the couch and slipped it on.

"Where are you going?" The question came out a lot more urgent than Jacob would've preferred, and it caused Clover to narrow her eyes.

"What's it to you?" she mumbled, pulling her long hair into a rubber band.

"Well..." Jacob cleared his throat gawkily and stood. "I thought we could... talk."

Clover's naturally guarded nature flared up. "About what?" She was halfway to the door.

Jacob cut her off automatically, blocking her exit. "Just... get to know each other." He smiled pathetically.

Clover darted around him and opened the door. "Maybe _later_," she said sardonically.

Jacob felt the world draining of color. She was going to leave again. He couldn't take it. "Don't you need keys?" he blurted, holding the door that she tried to jerk close.

"_No,_" she snapped, glaring.

"But... it's raining –"

"Yeah, exactly." She made a 'no-duh' face. "I'm going to the beach."

Jacob stared. Hazardous scenarios played out in his head... title wave, strong currents, lighting bolt, slippery sand... "I'll come, too," he said, edging out to damp front steps with her.

Her hair was already damp again, with moist droplets of water shining like gems in her midnight hair. Her petite face was pulled into a look of distrust. "Why?"

"Like I said – we need to get to know each other."

"Why?"

He sighed, glancing crossly at the brooding sky. "You'll... find out," he choked, clearing his throat again.

"Don't you want a jacket? It's gonna be wet." She looked down at his black shirt and ripped jeans suspiciously.

He wiggled his sockless toes in his old Sketchers. "Nah."

The walk to the beach wasn't long, but the two were thoroughly soaked by the time they reached their destination. Clover walked along with her hands in the pockets of her dark purple raincoat, catching Jacob's stares every so often. She walked on the hems of her too-long jeans, and her grey Converse were brown with mud in less than a minute. The rain ebbed into a drizzle. They took the small path through the trees behind the beach, and soon enough the looming, tempestuous horizon of First Beach came into view.

Jacob shivered when a sudden familiarity rose up. The beach, the storm... it seemed like he had been in this situation before...

"Told ya."

"Wh-what?"

"You should of brought a coat."

Jacob scoffed at the thought. He had enough body heat to survive Antarctica, let alone a late-fall rainstorm. "I'm not cold."

Clover smirked and held out a hand, which had grown pale from the cold pocket of her coat. "_Prove_ it."

Jacob's smug grin caught her eye as their hands joined lightly. His skin was a shade darker than hers, by natural hue. Their touch lingered together, each drawn closer by the contact. She stared up into his chocolate eyes, captivated by their depth and the longing she found there. The moment was perfect... he felt that he could confide anything in her...

"Are you a criminal?"

He gaped incredulously. "_What?_"

"Are you running from the law? 'Cuz I don't wanna be your accomplice or anything."

"Wha –? No! What makes you _say_ that?"

She turned, stuck her hand back in her pocket, and continued down the beach. "They say you just _disappeared_ three years ago... pretty suspicious if you ask me."

He fell into step with her, watching her face carefully. "That's... kind of personal."

She rolled her eyes. "You _said_ you wanted to get to know me. I want some info in return."

He nodded in understanding. She was reasonable, at least. "I don't know how much Billy's told you..." He turned his face so the rain ran down his chin and neck. "Boy met girl... boy fell in love... girl broke boy's heart... boy ran away." It was almost sad that he could sum up two whole years of his life in those words... almost. That time was far behind him; he couldn't dwell on forgotten memories.

"Oh... how... clique." Clover looked at the sea and bit her lip. "Sorry," she apologized. "I tend to use my mouth more than my brain..."

Jacob chuckled, wishing she would turn her head again. Her light coffee eyes were becoming a drug to him. "S'kay... I think I'm over it, for the most part."

They walked along in silence for a full minute, during which the shoreward wind picked up. Clover shivered against the breeze, but a smile was on her face. Jacob watched her, fascinated by every motion, by every thought that passed over her face.

"The cold doesn't bother you?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Sometimes. I like the rain more, though."

"Ah..." Jacob carefully thought over his next question. "So... why did you move to La Push?" He frowned; that hadn't come out quite right.

"Family... stuff." She watched her feet make shallow prints in the wet sand. "That's something we share in common," she said, looking over at him. "My mom's dead, too."

Jacob tried to hide his surprise. She'd just... _said_ it. "Er, oh. Sorry..."

Clover's expression darkened. "No, I don't mind it, really. She took her own life... She was selfish."

He tried to keep his face straight, ignoring the pain that her confession caused him. "And your dad?"

"He never loved her... or me for that matter." She reached up, wiping the wet hair from her forehead and tucking it behind her ear. "I was just a bother after mom killed herself."

Jacob felt his hands clench into fists. She was so young, innocent... she didn't deserve the life she was given. "Sounds like... you've had a rough time..."

Once again, the girl shrugged. "I've had Emily for as long as I can remember. I don't regret coming here."

* * *

><p>Jacob felt himself smile when he heard Clovers soft mumble: "Fluffy flapjacks..."<p>

He could easily stay up all night listening to the sound of her heart, her steady breathing, and her occasional mutterings as she slept. Which was exactly what he was doing. He lay in bed, hands tucked under his head, wishing to heaven that he would just... freaking... _tell _her. To say that the afternoon he spent walking through La Push in the rain with her wasn't complete and utter bliss would have been a big lie. He had been on Cloud 9 the entire time. However, the only problem was that they had quickly fallen into the "causal friend" conversations...

'What was your favorite subject growing up?'

'What would you major in if you went to college?'

'Did you have any pets?'

And the worst one: 'Have you ever dated?'

Having the very dull personality that was unique to Clover, she had answered his question with short, concise statements.

'English was the least boring since I wanna be a writer.'

'I would have majored in Educational Administration to be a teacher.'

'I had a dog, but it got ran over by my uncle's truck... while I was driving it.'

'I dated this one guy for a week, but I got bored.'

Yes - those generic responses only thickened the enigma that Clover was becoming to him. But it gave him a mystery that he would gladly enjoy solving. He was captivated with her; every quirky comment, every flamboyant expression... and not just because of the imprint.

Jacob was determined to find out what made Clover so crazy.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm on a roll with this story, and your reviews will keep me going. So, please... tell me what you think! *mumbles* If only Edward was here...<br>**

**-Scarlet**


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